Pope Francis speaks against the virus of consumerism

epa08036891 Pope Francis leads his Sunday Angelus prayer from the window of his office overlooking St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, 01 December 2019. EPA-EFE/FABIO FRUSTACI

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Pope Francis on Sunday urged people to resist the excesses of consumerism in the period leading up to Christmas, calling it a virus that attacks faith and offends the needy.

“When you live for things, things are never enough, greed grows, other people become obstacles in a race,” he said in the homily of a Mass, decrying that in many places in the world today “consumerism reigns supreme.”

Francis spoke between the two biggest shopping days of the year in rich countries such as the United States – Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The pope said “consumerism is a virus that corrodes faith” because it makes people forget “the brother who knocks at your door”. He urged people to “resist the blinding lights of consumerism, which will shine everywhere this month” leading up to Christmas.

Speaking about the Advent, which means coming, Pope Francis said that “The Lord is coming. This is the root of our hope: the certainty that God’s consolation comes to us in the midst of the troubles of the world. Not a consolation of words, but of His presence among us.”

Speaking about the virus of consumerism, Pope Francis said that things are never enough, said Pope Francis. “Our houses are filled with things but empty of children”, he said. “This is the demographic winter we are suffering”, he added. We have no time for God or for others. Our greed grows and others become obstacles, so we end up feeling threatened, always dissatisfied and angry, raising the level of hatred.

“We see it today where consumerism reigns”, said Pope Francis: “The world is full of weapons that cause death, yet we do not realise that we too continue to arm our hearts with anger.”